2086 Narrative
In 2086, artificial intelligence has taken complete control. There is no privacy, and all communication is filtered and manipulated. Physical archives and evidence of life before have been permanently erased to ensure complete control and obedience. Newer generations have even lost fine-motor skills and their ability to write.
Within these hard conditions, a group of rebels - The Refusers - have decided to take action. They operate from secret rooms in the upper level of an abandoned car park that has been repurposed into a church for disguise from the government. With the help of their symbolic object - the Fountain Pen - they begin relearning the human hand and gradually restoring a physical archive of the past and present, reclaiming autonomy at the smallest scale.
Spatial Concept
Taking inspiration from my symbolic object - The Fountain Pen - and incorporating the architecture of churches, I created a building that is visually interesting and acts as a disguise for the rooms of the rebel group inside.
The shape of the building mirrors the shape of a fountain pen nib, honouring the symbolic object and translating its symmetry and intricacy. The layout of the rebel rooms upstairs follows the order of the ritual practices within the group. Starting with the teaching space (relearning how to write), followed by the independent practice space (developing the skill), and then the Archive (sacred space of knowledge and history), where all written information is stored.
